Martin Scorsese has given us countless cinematic classics. It stunned the world of film when it was announced his next film, the Irishman, would be a Netflix original.
The Irishman follows the life of Frank Sheeran, a mid level mafia type who…well, when all is said and done, loses the important things in his dedication to the empty life being offered by the family.
Like Goodfellas or Casino, we see lives of toxic masculine bravado and the damage it does to families. But this time, Scorsese opts for a more quiet and lamenting approach. Less focused on the brutality, this film is about a man who tries hard to not acknowledge his faults. It ruins his relationship with his daughters, yet he is unwilling to truly take the steps to fix the situation. He has regrets, but not the will to become a truly responsible man.
With a three and half hour runtime, I suspect that it may not be as effective for casual viewers. This is a good film, though not Scorsese’s best. It boasts strong performances, with this being one of Joe Pesci’s finest moments of his career.
The film makes big use of de-aging technology. When characters are sitting around? It is really good. Screen shots look fine. But when there is action and a lot of movement required…well, it may *look* like 35 year old De Niro…but he moves like 76 year old De Niro and that is hard to ignore.
As I said, this is good, but not a great Scorsese film. I am glad he made it, I liked it. But outside of Scorsese die hards, I am not sure this film will garner near the appreciation.
Tripping Through Gateways 
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